Can anyone Help!
I currently live in Michigan. I had a discussion with my brother last evening about opening a small business from scratch and he brought a binder full of all the information you would need, step by step, from dealing with customers to using specific documents for tax and accounting purposes. This binder had everything, and I mean everything. He said it costed him around 300.00 bucks.
The ONLY problem was that it delt with the FLORAL industry.
Does anyone know of anything that would help out someone interested in opening a HVAC shop? I would be starting out verry small. Any information would help! Thank you so much for your time and patience!!!!

12-22-2004, 07:58 PM

thor7000

I opened my own business from scratch approx. 8 years ago, all I can tell you is it all comes down to "who you know"! I was lucky enough a have a friend that knew a maintenance manager within a large plastic injection company for the automotive industry. We all met up for a few drinks at a local strip joint, I bought a few rounds, lap dances and the rest is history!! Now I have 8 plants with one company and 4 with another all from the one guy which is now a very good friend of mine, oh and we do about one million in sales and service per year with four employees!!

Moral of the story, no $300 start-up manual is going to help you become self employed, get some contacts and build up a good trust, only then will it be worth looking into!

Just my 2 cents

12-25-2004, 01:07 AM

R12rules

# 1, your posting in the wrong forum. Should be either the general forum or the Pros Marketing and business forum.

Next ... we need background on who, what, when, where, why, etc.

In most states, you need someone to qualify to obtain the contractor's lisence.
Do either you or your brother have that knowledge and experience?

Do you have a couple of grand sitting around to dump into the prep course, the books, the exam fee's, the insurance fee's, PLURAL ... the cram course which explains what the test questions are looking for inthe way of correct answers .... this all costs mucho dinero.

Next is your marketing and business plans. You absolutely must write a business plan.
And to do that, you need to know how to draw up a marketing plan.

There is a lot involved. A ton of stuff needs to be addressed. It takes time, money, energy.

If you answered some questions, in the other forum(s), we could chip in and give you some answers.

But the real big question is this: how much experience do you have as a business man?

Anyone who thinks they can start up a service contracting business, from scratch and operate service work AND be the business brains ... and balance all that and have any kind of a life .... without having prior business experience ....

is all wet.

Starting up a service contracting business without business acumen is like going hunting and never seen a gun before in their lives!!!

In fact ... it would be EASIER to bring home a dear than it would be to bring home the bucks ... business is more difficult than hunting is.

But if you have the experience and knowledge ... and the big bucks ... I will help you in any way I can.
I am not the one to judge you and say you cant do this.

If your crazy enough to embark upon this journey ... then so be it.

Re-post your thread and "let the games begin"...:)

12-25-2004, 08:30 AM

frigetater

ditto....ditto......ditto

12-25-2004, 03:03 PM

pilotlight

hey we all are here to help like others stated repost in the pro form or general form we will help all we can

good luck

12-26-2004, 09:47 PM

sctech

well cant the "powers that be" here move this for us ? anyway I'll start in over there cause I've got simular questions .

02-11-2005, 04:57 PM

whitepoundog

How does any company start?

I think alot of people are way to negative about startup companies. Damn right it takes hard work, contacts, luck, and good people surrounding you but all companies have to start somewhere. I just started a company and it is tough, and I am good at what I do. But I heard way to many "don't do it" from other contractors, who have done very well for themselves. I am liking it to when I started in the business and some of the older techs would hold back in teaching all they know for fear of job security. This is America and the beauty of it is that we can start our own companies.

02-11-2005, 05:33 PM

framehvac

whitepoundog I think alot of people are way to negative about startup companies. Damn right it takes hard work, contacts, luck, and good people surrounding you but all companies have to start somewhere. I just started a company and it is tough, and I am good at what I do. But I heard way to many "don't do it" from other contractors, who have done very well for themselves. I am liking it to when I started in the business and some of the older techs would hold back in teaching all they know for fear of job security. This is America and the beauty of it is that we can start our own companies.

Its because you will take their work away.A hvac company is one of the best business to open at this time in 20 year their will be twice as many hvac companies that there is now.